diff --git a/docs/api_reference.md b/docs/api_reference.md
index feb40dc8b..fdbb6453b 100644
--- a/docs/api_reference.md
+++ b/docs/api_reference.md
@@ -98,6 +98,14 @@ For example, to access the `foo` Python object from Javascript:
 |           |         | types, a Proxy object to the Python   |
 |           |         | object is returned.                   |
 
+### pyodide.globals
+
+An object whose attributes are members of the Python global namespace. This is a
+more convenient alternative to `pyodide.pyimport`.
+
+For example, to access the `foo` Python object from Javascript:
+
+   `pyodide.globals.foo`
 
 ### pyodide.repr(obj)
 
@@ -178,7 +186,7 @@ pyodide.runPythonAsync(code, messageCallback)
 
 Returns the pyodide version.
 
-It can be either the exact release version (e.g. `0.1.0`), or 
+It can be either the exact release version (e.g. `0.1.0`), or
 the latest release version followed by the number of commits since, and
 the git hash of the current commit (e.g. `0.1.0-1-bd84646`).
 
@@ -191,4 +199,3 @@ None
 | name      | type   | description            |
 |-----------|--------|------------------------|
 | *version* | String | Pyodide version string |
-
diff --git a/src/pyodide.js b/src/pyodide.js
index f7ef61dd1..5c9312a80 100644
--- a/src/pyodide.js
+++ b/src/pyodide.js
@@ -233,9 +233,9 @@ var languagePluginLoader = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
   ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
   // Rearrange namespace for public API
   let PUBLIC_API = [
+    'globals',
     'loadPackage',
     'loadedPackages',
-    'py',
     'pyimport',
     'repr',
     'runPython',
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ var languagePluginLoader = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
           .then((response) => response.json())
           .then((json) => {
             fixRecursionLimit(window.pyodide);
-            window.pyodide.py =
+            window.pyodide.globals =
                 window.pyodide.runPython('import sys\nsys.modules["__main__"]');
             window.pyodide = makePublicAPI(window.pyodide, PUBLIC_API);
             window.pyodide._module.packages = json;
diff --git a/test/test_python.py b/test/test_python.py
index 6bcaf764f..bc1b41239 100644
--- a/test/test_python.py
+++ b/test/test_python.py
@@ -609,4 +609,4 @@ def test_py(selenium_standalone):
         """
     )
 
-    assert selenium_standalone.run_js('return pyodide.py.func()') == 42
+    assert selenium_standalone.run_js('return pyodide.globals.func()') == 42